Well pumping equipment



April 4, 1944. B. H. LYBYER WELL PUMPING EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed Dec. 21, 1942 Inventor Bry'amz'w H {ylyer y I WW 3m April 4, 1944. B. H, LYBYER 2,345,710 I v WELL PUMPING EQUIPMENT Filed Dec. 21, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 4, 1944 f UNITED STAT S- FATE Y WELL-PUMPING EQUIPMENT Bahamian: Lybyer, Casper, Wyo. Application Deccmber '2l, 1942, Serial No. 469,704

1 cla m. (01. 103-203 My invention relates to oil well pumping equipment, andmore particularly to separators therefor of the general type exemplified in my U. 8. Patent No. 1,698,444, dated July 16, 1925, and over which the instant invention is designed as an improvement.

The principal object of the instant invention is to simplify the separator of my prior patent, supra, particularly by reducing the number of parts, and to generally increase the efficiency of such separators, and reduce the cost of manufacture, installation and servicing of the same.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claim are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in vertical section, partly in elevation, of my improved separator in its preferred embodiment,

Figure 2. is a view in transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a view in vertical longitudinal section,

Figure 5 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4 and drawn to an enlarged scale, and

Figure 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Reference being had to the drawings by numerals, my improved separator has been shown therein as installed in the usual well casing I into which the usual working barrel 2 of the pump unit depends for pumping in a manner which will be understood.

According to my invention, a tubing section 3 is suspended from the working barrel 2 above the fluid level in the casing I, through the medium of a tubular standing valve casing 4 coupled at its upper end to the lower end of the barrel 2, as by the threaded sleeve coupling 5, and to the lower end of which said section 3 is similarly coupled, as by the sleeve coupling 6. The lower end of the tubing section 3 is suitably closed, as by a bull plug 1, attached to said end by a threaded sleeve coupling 8.

A packer 9 of rubber, or the like, is provided in the casing I on the tubing section 3 intermediate the ends of the latter and which comprises a sleeve-like body I0 fitted around said section 3" and spaced" from the casing I, and a downwardly flaring and feathered skirt II having a bottom end fitting tight against the internal wall of the casing I to form a seal between said casing and said skirt. A washer I2 on top of the body I9, and a nut I3 threaded onto said tubing section 3 against said Washer prevent upward displacement of the packer 9 relative to said tubing section 3. The bottom edge of the skirt II is supported and maintained in sealing engagement with the inner wall of the casing I by means of a cage including a base collar I4 fitted around the tubing section 3 and seated on a metal sleeve I5 threaded onto said tubing section 3 below the packer 9, said collar I4 having steel rods I5 diverging upwardly therefrom in circular formation around said section 3 and suitably fixed at upper ends thereof to the bottom end of said skirt II. A sleeve I I fitting around said tubing section 3 between the body I9 and collar I4 prevents downward displacement of the body In on said section 3. The sleeve I! is provided below the skirt II with an inlet side port I8 for a purpose presently seen.

The tubing section 3 is provided therein with a longitudinal bypass I9 on one side of its axis formed by a longitudinal central partition 29 in the section 3. The bypass I9 opens at its upper end into the tubing I by Way of an outlet port 2| provided in said tubing section 3. A similar inlet port 22 is provided in said section 3 at the lower end of said bypass I9 and which registers with the inlet port I in the sleeve IT. A port 23 is provided in said tubing section 3 immediately above the packer 9 and on the side of said section 3 opposite the ports 2|, 22. The tubing section 3 extends well below the bypass I9 to provide in the lower end thereof a sediment sump 24.

Referring now to the operation of my improved separator, the oil in the casing I, together with the gas and sediment entrained therein, rises, by gas pressure, in the casing I, enters the bypass I9 below the packer 9 by way of the inlet ports I8, 22 and passes out of said bypass I9 above said packer 9 into th casing I by way of the discharge port 2i. At this point, the gas separates from the oil and sediment and rises upwardly in said casing I, While the oil with the sediment discharges downwardly into the casing I above the packer 9 and is trapped in the space between the casing I and said packer 9 where the sediment settles. Upon operation of the pump, not shown, the trapped oil and sediment is drawn upwardly through the port 23, tubing section 3 NT OFFICE and standing valve casing 4. The sediment separates from the oil being thus pumped as said oil enters the port 23 and falls between. the partition 20 and the side of the section 3 in which said port 23 is located, into the sump 24. Thus, the oil, gas and sediment are separated without resorting to operations separate from the pumping operation.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suifice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein re-' an oil well upright in said casing from the lower end of said barrel and being of smaller diameter than that of said casing, means to couple the upper end of said section to said barrel in communication therewith, a packer surrounding said tubing section intermediate the ends thereof and fitting in said casing to form therewith a sediment and oil trap in the casing, a bypass in said tubing section opening at the ends thereof onto one side of the section above and below said packer whereby oil under pressure in the well may pass upwardly from said casing by way of said section past the packer and back into the casing to fall into said trap with the gas separated therefrom, an inlet port in said tubing section above said packer whereby oil and sediment may be drawn under pumping fromthe trap back into said tub ing, and a plug closing the lower end of the tubing section to form therein a sump into which sediment may fall past the bypass.

BEN. H. LYBYER. 

